Abstract: In a mail processing system that delivers articles to delivery locations a first transport vehicle at a first loading point is loaded with a first article, and guided along a first delivery path to a first delivery location. A second transport vehicle at a second loading point is loaded with a second article, and guided along a second delivery path to a second delivery location. Depending on a determination of whether the first and second transport vehicles deliver the first and second articles to the respective first and second delivery locations, the method returns an empty transport vehicle to the nearest one of the loading points and bypasses one of the first and second loading points for a still loaded transport vehicle. This allows to minimize the number of transport vehicles within the system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an input unit of a letter sorting system which comprises separable first and second conveyor lines. The first line is positioned proximate to an isolating device which processes letters. The first line comprises a conveyor surface and supporting wall along with a linear guide which extends beyond the surface. On the linear guide runs a separating blade. The second line also comprises a conveyor surface and supporting wall along with a linear guide, however this linear guide does not run beyond the length of the second conveyor line supporting surface. At least one second separating blades run on the second conveyor line linear guide. In operation, letters are placed on the second conveyor supporting surface from bins. The placement may be in a select order. The second conveyor line is then brought proximate to the first conveyor line where the two are then coupled.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the sorting of flat mailings comprising pouches for individual mailings, circulating on a conveyor belt on two levels, the emptying of which may be controlled corresponding to the read target address and the sorting plan. The total circulation in the pouch loop (5) is carried out in several partial loops. The level transitions for each partial loop are adjacent within the total circulation, whereby on each level transition the conveyor belt is diverted inwards. The pouch loading stations (10) are arranged adjacently for each partial loop in the lower level.

Abstract: Method for sorting mailings according to the distribution sequence in a sorter unit with circulating pouches, the number of pouches in a pouch circuit being less than the number of mailings for sorting in said sorting run. After all pouches are loaded, the separation and reading of the remaining mailings for the sorting run is carried out and the mailings are divided into one part for corresponding mailing points for the beginning or end of the sequence, and another part for all the charged mailings, which are then buffered. The mailings in the pouches are then sorted according to the sequence. The buffered mailings are placed in the empty pouches and then separated into further distribution sections, when not all buffered mailings fit in the pouches. Once all pouches are filled with the buffered mailings for the subsequent distribution section the next sorting is carried out.

Abstract: A system and method are set out for automatically extracting pods from a carousel shaped casing tower which include elements for engaging and moving the pods within the carousel while the carousel maintains its place. The pods travel on a track within the carousel which comprises six layers of pods. The extracting is performed in an extraction zone which may be located at least one end of the carousel while the loading of pods occurs at other locations. The pods include pockets for accommodating articles. The articles may be mail pieces.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for laterally extracting articles from a slot. The slot may belong to a DPP machine and housed within a DPP container. The present invention includes an extraction device with moveable walls that may be compressed and uncompressed a selectively width so as to define a cavity of the select width. The extraction device is inserted into the slot. The separator sheets are removed. The extraction device walls are compressed so as to make room between them and the slot walls. The separator sheets are reintroduced into this room. The extraction device is then pushed forward, out of the slot, and into a further processing element where the articles are deposited. The slot is then returned to a start position behind the slot. The extraction device includes an H-belt to facilitate removal of the articles from the extraction device cavity.

Abstract: A device used to arrange flat packets according to a determined sequence of delivery points associated with receiver addresses, whereby below a continuous part of a surrounding pocket ring designated as a covering area, one part of a collector belt, which is displaced with relative speed, is arranged on a stacking device to receive packets from the pockets in order to further transport the packets. The transportation speed of the collector belt is synchronised with the transportation speed of the pocket ring such that each section of the collector belt passes along the covering area of each pocket of the pocket ring at least once during the movement thereof. The packets are emptied onto the collector belt from the pockets of the pocket ring according to the read recipient addresses such that they leave the collector belt in the stacking device in a determined sequence of the recipient addresses.

Abstract: To equally space items along a first path, a predetermined number of items is moved towards each other to minimize distances between the items, and a gear mechanism is engaged with each item. The gear mechanism includes crossed bars, wherein pairs of the bars are coupled at middle joints so that each pair of bars forms an X-shaped structure and opposite ends of an X-shaped structure are coupled at end joints to respective ends of neighboring X-shaped structures. The gear mechanism is activated so that the gear mechanism acts upon each item and moves each item along the first path a predetermined distance to equally space the items.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for extracting and polywrapping articles stored in a pocket of a container. The container may be part of a DPP machine. In operation, a separator sheet is extracted, the bottom of the pocket opened so as to allow the articles therein to drop into a polywrapping device, and the polywrapping device sequentially polywraps the articles. After the articles are dropped from the pocket, the separator sheet is reinserted. Rollers and cross sealer bars, appropriately placed, facilitate the polywrapping. Optional use of an H-belt is possible as well as a tracked sheet bottom transporting the pockets to the polywrapping device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an input unit of a letter sorting system which comprises separable first and second conveyor lines. The first line is positioned proximate to an isolating device which processes letters. The first line comprises a conveyor surface and supporting wall along with a linear guide which extends beyond the surface. On the linear guide runs a separating blade. The second line also comprises a conveyor surface and supporting wall along with a linear guide, however this linear guide does not run beyond the length of the second conveyor line supporting surface. At least one second separating blades run on the second conveyor line linear guide. In operation, letters are placed on the second conveyor supporting surface from bins. The placement may be in a select order. The second conveyor line is then brought proximate to the first conveyor line where the two are then coupled.

Abstract: In a mail processing system that delivers articles to delivery locations a first transport vehicle at a first loading point is loaded with a first article, and guided along a first delivery path to a first delivery location. A second transport vehicle at a second loading point is loaded with a second article, and guided along a second delivery path to a second delivery location. Depending on a determination of whether the first and second transport vehicles deliver the first and second articles to the respective first and second delivery locations, the method returns an empty transport vehicle to the nearest one of the loading points and bypasses one of the first and second loading points for a still loaded transport vehicle. This allows to minimize the number of transport vehicles within the system.

Abstract: A system and method are set out for automatically extracting pods from a carousel shaped casing tower which include elements for engaging and moving the pods within the carousel while the carousel maintains its place. The pods travel on a track within the carousel which comprises six layers of pods. The extracting is performed in an extraction zone which may be located at least one end of the carousel while the loading of pods occurs at other locations. The pods include pockets for accommodating articles. The articles may be mail pieces.

Abstract: The present invention relates to article handling and sorting and in particular to a system and method for handling and sorting both regular and exception articles. Regular articles are ones which fit into an article bin assigned to the article's destination address. Exception articles are ones which no longer fit due to volume concerns. In operation, a first sort of the article batch is performed into bins or PODs assigned to regular and exception articles. The exception articles are extracted, polywrapped and sorted a second time in sequence of delivery. The exception articles are also sorted in sequence of delivery. Markers are inserted into the regular article stack to indicated where an exception article should have gone. After the second sort, the articles are again extracted, exception articles first. Related regular articles are then extracted and the exception articles are manually inserted where marked.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for extracting and polywrapping articles stored in a pocket of a contain. The container may be part of a DPP machine. In operation, a separator sheet is extracted, the bottom of the pocket opened so as to allow the articles therein to drop into a polywrapping device, and the polywrapping device sequentially polywraps the articles. After the articles are dropped from the pocket, the separator sheet is reinserted. Rollers and cross sealer bars, appropriately placed, facilitate the polywrapping. Optional use of an H-belt is possible as well as a tracked sheet bottom transporting the pockets to the polywrapping device.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method for loading articles onto a feeder ledge of a feeder, the articles arriving from a plurality of different article lines. One line may be reserved for automatically loadable articles, while a second line may be directed to semi-automatic loading. Semi-automatic loading entails directing an article container or tub to an operator who then manually aligns and makes any necessary alignment corrections to an article stack accommodated therein. After a sufficient amount of manual handling, articles located upon a second ledge, as prepared by the operator, are substituted in the automatically loadable article stream to the feeder ledge. As such, the operator prepared articles get loaded upon the feeder ledge. During this time, it may be possible for the operator to manually load still more articles from a third article line directly onto the feeder ledge.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for loading the input unit of a letter sorting system with letters that are stood on their edges. The device comprises of at least one stack receiving device which is located on a carriage and which can receive a stack of letters at a given location. The device comprise a stack base which can be moved beyond the carriage in the direction of the stack, horizontally, and one or two separating blades which hold the stack. The blades can be displaced along the stack base and can rotate in and out of the stack receiving device. The dimensions and the height of the stack receiving device are configured in such a way that the stack base can be moved onto the letter conveyor line with the separating blade(s) of the stack receiving device and urged to the input unit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an input unit of a letter sorting system which comprises separable first and second conveyor lines. The first line is positioned proximate to an isolating device which processes letters. The first line comprises a conveyor surface and supporting wall along with a linear guide which extends beyond the surface. On the linear guide runs a separating blade. The second line also comprises a conveyor surface and supporting wall along with a linear guide, however this linear guide does not run beyond the length of the second conveyor line supporting surface. At least one second separating blades run on the second conveyor line linear guide. In operation, letters are placed on the second conveyor supporting surface from bins. The placement may be in a select order. The second conveyor line is then brought proximate to the first conveyor line where the two are then coupled.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for loading the input unit of a letter sorting system with letters that are stood on their edges. The device comprises of at least one stack receiving device which is located on a carriage and which can receive a stack of letters at a given location. The device comprise a stack base which can be moved beyond the carriage in the direction of the stack, horizontally, and one or two separating blades which hold the stack. The blades can be displaced along the stack base and can rotate in and out of the stack receiving device. The dimensions and the height of the stack receiving device are configured in such a way that the stack base can be moved onto the letter conveyor line with the separating blade(s) of the stack receiving device and urged to the input unit.

Abstract: For generating individual droplets, an arrangement for an ink printer device comprises conductor loops as drive elements, the middle parts thereof lying in a common ink chamber and being movable therein under the influence of a magnetic field dependent on a change of current flux through a conductor loop; the conductor loops are fashioned of webs in a terminating plate, these webs being separated by columns having capillary action; every movable middle part includes a breach which forms a discharge opening; the terminating plate combines the function of the drive elements, of the nozzle plate and of an ink tight cover of the ink printer device.